UniMAP Researcher Wins Double Gold Award In London

KANGAR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- A researcher from Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) from the Faculty of Engineering and Civil Technology has won the Double Gold Award at the Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network (GLOBALWIIN) Summit of Roundtables & Awards 2025 held in London on Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday).

In a statement today, UniMAP said that Dr. Norazian Mohamed Noor received the recognition for her innovation titled "Smart Air Quality Forecasting Tool for Transboundary Haze Events in Southeast Asia," a smart forecasting system based on a combination of statistical methods and machine learning in artificial intelligence (AI) to predict air pollutant concentrations during transboundary haze episodes in Southeast Asia.

"The prestigious awards event is organised by GLOBALWIIN, an international platform that recognises outstanding women in the fields of innovation, invention and entrepreneurship worldwide," said UniMAP in the statement.

Meanwhile, Norazian said the innovation was developed to meet the urgent need for a more accurate, faster, and real-data-based air quality forecasting system.

The haze challenge in this region not only affects public health but also has a significant impact on the economy and the environment. This innovation was developed to help authorities and the public take early action based on more accurate air quality forecasts," she said.

She said the forecasting tool also incorporates various major pollutants such as carbon monoxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), in addition to considering meteorological parametres like temperature, wind speed and humidity, thereby increasing the accuracy of the forecast compared to traditional linear models.

Meanwhile, in the same statement, UniMAP vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Ts Dr Zaliman Sauli said Norazian's achievement proves the ability of local university researchers to compete on the international stage.

"This success not only elevates the name of UniMAP and Malaysia globally but also serves as an inspiration for women in science and technology to continue making an impact," he said.

Zaliman added that the success simultaneously strengthens UniMAP's reputation as a technology and innovation-based university, in line with the university's role in the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) and the country's efforts to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem and high-impact research.

-- BERNAMA